Abstract
The present study aimed to verify the effect of methanolic extract, fractions, and phenolic compounds of Eugenia mattosii D. Legrand leaves on the aorta relaxation. Isometric tensions were measured on the aorta of normotensive (NTR) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The results showed that both methanolic extracts of leaves and stems, as well as, fractions obtained from leaves were able to induce a concentration-dependent relaxation in both endothelium-intact and -denuded aortas. The methanolic extract of leaves (ME-leaves) was the most effective since the maximal relaxation (≈ 83%) obtained was at the concentration of 300 μg/mL. As the endothelium-dependent relaxation was more significant, we investigated the mechanisms by which ME-leaves induced this effect. After the pretreatment with LNAME, ME-leaves-induced relaxation was decreased in the aorta of NTR and SHR. However, the pretreatment with methylene blue only reduced the relaxation in the aorta of NTR. Furthermore, pretreatment with ME-leaves decreased phenylephrine-induced contraction in preparation Ca(2+)-free only in aortic rings from NTR. This study also reveals that both compounds, cryptostrobin isolated from chloroform fraction and catechin from the ethyl acetate fraction induced a marked relaxation in endotheliumintact aortic rings of NTR. In conclusion, ME-leaves induces relaxation in the rat aorta involves the modulation of NO/cGMP dependent signaling pathway, this mechanism may at least, in part, explain the endothelium-dependent relaxation. Furthermore, cryptostrobin and catechin also induced relaxation, which may contribute synergistically to the vasorelaxation effect of the ME-leaves.